Hunting Dogs
by spotpc
Summary: Revised 31905. Inuyasha crossover. When a powerful witch gets hold of jewel shards, the STNJ has no choice but to accept help from an unusual source. Be ready for some serious comedy and alot of action too. Complete story. R&R please. No Flamers.
1. HD1

This is my second fic and my first shot at WHR. I've tried to have as little OOCness as possible. I've also tried to craft the story to please both Inuyasha fans and WHR fans. But I can't please everyone at once, so no flames please.

As always, I don't own any of these characters, except for Agatha because I created her. If you like Agatha and want to use her just let me know first.

Enjoy! Read and review please!

Hunting Dogs

1

"Are you sure you sense a jewel shard, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, exasperated. "We've been wandering around this neighborhood for two hours and there's nothing here."

"I can still sense it," Kagome insisted. "It's moving faster now, I think. Let's try following that alley."

It was true that they'd been looking for the shard since nine o'clock that night, but Kagome couldn't give up. Another shard in the modern era could touch off another "flesh-eating mask" incident. And she wasn't prepared to risk that. They had to keep looking. She gripped Inuyasha's shoulders harder as he jumped to the next rooftop. The shard was moving away from them, and fast too.

2

"Damn, what kind of witch is this?" Sakaki growled into his little microphone. His shoes skidded on the concrete as he took the corner into the alley. "He moves like a cat or something. I lost him at the southeast corner."

"I'm starting to miss the orbo," Dojima complained for the tenth time that night.

"Stop saying that," Karasuma hissed from the next block over. "You saw where the orbo came from."

"I'm not sure I care anymore," Dojima shot back. Both her hands trembled on her gun as she inched along a filthy brick wall.

"Are you guys just gonna yak all night?" Michael asked over the com system. "You're supposed to be hunting."

"Why don't you come out here and join us, Michael?" Sakaki teased.

"I'm a lover, not a fighter," Michael retorted.

"Sakaki, what's your position?" Amon barked into his com, grabbing everyone's attention.

"I'm coming down the center alley, heading your way."

"Are you sure he went that way?" Karasuma asked. "Michael, do you see him?"

"I'm not sure of anything with this one," Michael answered. "The database says that Mune can only use limited camouflage. That's how he was able to pull off those bank robberies. He walked into the banks and blended with the wall until they closed. Once he was locked in, he used some high tech gear to crack the safes. The database doesn't say anything about the new powers he's displaying. I can't even pick him up on the infrared scan."

"It's rare for a witch to have more than one power," Amon observed. "Be careful, this is no ordinary witch."

Robin stayed close behind Amon and listened to Sakaki's footsteps getting closer. It was as good a time as any to mention it.

"Amon, do you think this witch is using something to enhance his powers?"

"Like what? A drug?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the alley opening.

"Maybe. And maybe not."

"You mean… The Fragment of Wisdom?" Amon's eyes narrowed slightly at the memory.

"Is that why Solomon asked us back?"

"That's impossible. Sastra destroyed it. You were there."

"So were you."

Amon turned to look over his shoulder at Robin for a moment. He seemed about to say something when Sakaki came out of the alley.

"I can't believe I lost him," he fumed.

"Calm down," Amon told him as he turned away from Robin.

"If he's using his power, you should still be able to see the light distortion it creates," Michael chimed in.

"Easy for you to say," Dojima groaned over the com.

Three gunshots rang out from somewhere close by and Karasuma's voice came over the coms.

"I got a visual. He's going east. Closing on your position, Amon. I'm in pursuit."

"Stay with him but hold your fire. We're coming to meet you."

Amon and Sakaki took off running up the side street, their guns held up by their shoulders. Robin kept pace behind them. It would be her job to spring the trap.

3

"No doubt about it, they're definitely chasing the jewel shard." Kagome leaned out from the edge of the roof and watched the three run off.

"You mean OUR jewel shard," Inuyasha reminded her. "We should run ahead and grab it first."

"No, wait. They don't seem to know anything about the jewel. We can just let them do the work and steal it back later. And besides, these people aren't normal cops. I want to see what they can do."

"You're right about them not being normal. I can smell the demon on those two."

"What do you mean? They're not demons. They're human."

"We'll see about that. Cummon, Kagome. We'd better hurry if we're gonna catch the action."

Kagome stood and hopped up on Inuyasha's back.

"The leader reminds me of someone," she commented as they started off.

"Yeah, me too," Inuyasha answered.

4

"Yurika, where are you?" Karasuma asked into her com as she ran.

"I'm coming, ok," Dojima whined.

Amon and Sakaki skidded to a stop as Karasuma swept around the corner from the next block, heading straight for them. And a few yards ahead of her, a vague shape caught everyone's eye. It looked more like water than a human being, the changing colors behind it creating a ripple effect.

"Is that the witch?" Sakaki asked, wide-eyed.

"It must be one of his new powers," Amon said and aimed his gun at the thing as it charged down the street towards them. He fired two shots straight at the target, but the witch leapt into the air. The two bullets buried themselves in the stone wall behind him. Karasuma stopped running and watched in amazement.

"He just dodged bullets," Sakaki raved as the witch landed.

"Robin," Amon snapped, as if her name itself was a command.

She stepped forward without hesitation, the fire flashing in her eyes. The witch threw himself deftly away from the flame that burst in front of him. He made a break for the shelter of an alley across the street, but Dojima jumped out to block him.

"I said I was coming," she sniffed as she raised her gun.

While the target was standing still, Robin took her shot. This time, the fire surrounded him and consumed him completely. As the ashes fell, the tiny gleam of something shiny caught Robin's eye. She moved closer and knelt down beside the scorch mark on the tar. She lifted the little piece of pink stone from the ground.

"That's strange. My power usually destroys everything."

"What is it?" Dojima asked as she put away her gun.

Sakaki and Karasuma came up behind Robin and peered over her shoulders.

"It looks like a piece of a pearl," Sakaki suggested.

"It couldn't be," Karasuma reasoned. "A pearl would have been destroyed by the fire."

"What do you think, Amon," Sakaki asked, turning around.

"We'll take it with us and send it to the lab," Amon said.

5

Inuyasha stood up on the rooftop as the group walked off.

"See, I told you they were demons," he said.

"I'm still not sure," Kagome said, standing up as well.

"Weren't you paying attention? That fire didn't come from nowhere. That's a demon power. Fox or cat maybe."

"Do they look like demons to you? They're obviously human."

"Then why do the leader and the fire-starter smell like demons? Try explaining that."

"I don't know. But there aren't any demons in this era. So they couldn't be… Wait a minute. There were tons of demons in the Feudal Era. Where did they all go?"

"Changed into them," Inuyasha sneered, pointing over his shoulder at the hunters.

"Change? You mean, like evolution."

"What's evolution?"

"It's a natural process that changes one animal into another. Usually, it takes thousands of years. But maybe we were both right."

"About what?"

"About those people being demons. Maybe there aren't any full demons around anymore, but their blood isn't gone yet."

"So you're saying that those people are…"

"Part demon."

"And they have a jewel shard."

"They'll take the shard home to their base. We have to follow them."


	2. HD2

6

The next evening, the STN-J office at Raven's Flat buzzed with excitement. Everyone stood around the table beside Michael's computer where the little pink shard lay.

"The lab couldn't identify the material," Michael said. "But they said it was carbon based."

"Couldn't identify it?" Sakaki thought out loud. "Could it be from outer space? A meteor or something."

"But it's carbon based." Dojima snickered. "Maybe it's alive. It's an alien."

"It's not an alien," Karasuma groaned.

"How do you know? Have you ever seen an alien?" Dojima persisted.

"I'm not going to dignify that," Karasuma said, folding her arms.

Dojima shot her a sour look. "And what did you say you saw when you scryed it?"

Karasuma narrowed her eyes at Dojima. "Just jumbled images. Monsters mostly."

"Could this be what gave the witch his extra power last night?" Robin asked.

"Probably," Amon said flatly.

Chief Kosaka squeezed between Dojima and Sakaki to get a closer look at the shard.

"A piece of stone that makes witch powers stronger," he mused. "That reminds me of a story I heard as a lad…"

"Well, that's my queue," Dojima interrupted, "Goodnight, everyone."

"My story is perfectly relevant," the chief snarled after her as she escaped into the elevator.

"We need facts, not myths," Amon said.

Kosaka seemed to give up then. It was like the party was over. Amon was right. There was nothing more they could do that night. One by one, the STN-J members left the office heading home. Even Michael abandoned his usual spot at the computer in favor of his old room two floors below. Robin would have left too, but she was worried about Amon. He had been sitting in the conference room staring at the computer screens for over an hour. To anyone else, he would have been unapproachable. But being his best friend had advantages. She took the seat beside him at the conference table and looked over at the screen in front of him. It was the file for the next case on their list. Was he worried about the mission?

"We will get them all," she said.

He didn't respond but she knew he was listening.

"I know you're thinking about it," she prodded him.

This time, he gave her a quick glance.

It had been two weeks since they'd come home to the STN-J, and two months since the destruction of the Factory. In those two months, they'd become world travelers. They had gone everywhere together. San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Rome, and many places in between. They took care of each other, watched each other's back, and gave each other reasons to go on. It might have stayed that way forever if her last email to Michael hadn't been intercepted by Solomon. The next day, they had received a message from Robin's grandfather, Juliano. He offered them a deal, or rather, he offered Amon a deal. There had been some disturbing developments back in Japan. A small group of known witches had suddenly gained unbelievable powers. Hunter after hunter had been sent to destroy them but none succeeded. Solomon was at a complete loss to explain the sudden change and powerless to stop the new crime wave.

"You were the best hunter in the business," Juliano had told Amon. "If you can hunt these witches, you will have your old life back again."

As stoic as Amon was, Robin knew that he desperately wanted to go home. So she'd pressed him to take the deal and he did, under the condition that she came with him.

"I don't hunt without my partner," he had declared.

"Don't you ever get tired of saving me?" she had asked him on the plane back to Tokyo.

"All the time," he had said.

But now his eyes told a different story. It had been a tough hunt last night and that witch was the weakest one on the list. Now that they were home again, neither one wanted to leave. They had to get through that list or go back on the road.

"Maybe the shard is the break we've been waiting for," she said hopefully.

"Maybe," he said and got up from his seat.

"Are you ready to go now?" she asked.

"Yeah."

7

"Thank god, I thought they'd never leave," Inuyasha said.

He and Kagome had been watching the office building from the neighboring rooftop since dinner time. But now, the lights on the top floor had gone out and only the moonlight shone on the windows. A black car drove around from the back of the building and sped off down the street.

"They left the shard there just like we thought," Kagome said.

"Time to work," Inuyasha declared. The office window was within easy jumping distance and the bars would be no problem for Tetsusaiga. "I gotta hand it to you, Kagome. This was a good idea." Without giving her a chance to respond, he drew his sword and fired off a light blast of energy. Small as it was, the attack shattered the window and bent the bars inward until they broke. "You comin'?" Inuyasha asked, stepping up to the edge of the roof.

"Did you have to make so much noise?" Kagome complained as she hopped up on his back.

"You want the shard or not?" he returned. He ignored her sigh and jumped across to the window.

It took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the darkness inside. The first thing Kagome saw was the computer system.

"Wow, someone's a computer geek," she commented.

"We didn't come to see the sights," Inuyasha growled. "This place reeks of demons. Where's the shard?"

"It's right here," Kagome said, taking the shard from the table. "You never let me have any fun."

"Keh, collecting jewel shards isn't supposed to be fun. It's work."

"I know, believe me."

The sound of the elevator bell made them both jump and spin around.


	3. HD3

8

"Michael, slow down," Sakaki demanded over the coms. His motorcycle's single headlight guided him towards the STN-J office where Michael was apparently going crazy.

"It was a demon, I tell ya'," Michael insisted. "A real demon."

"Did you fall asleep on your keyboard again?" Dojima asked. She was heading for the office too, trying to keep her red sports car on the road between yawns.

"It wasn't a dream. I saw it. It was a demon, just like in the fairy tales."

"You got us all out of bed for a fairy tale?" Karasuma cut in. She was going in the same direction as the others, her cell phone in one hand and her steering wheel in the other.

"A walking talking fairy tale," Michael said. "And they took the shard too."

"They? I thought there was only one demon," Sakaki said.

Karasuma had had enough. "Michael, if you don't start making sense in the next ten seconds, I'm turning this car around and going back to bed."

"Ok, I was lying in bed and I heard Robin and Amon leave. And I was just dozing off when there was this awful noise upstairs in the office. I ran up there and there they were. This demon with long white hair and a red robe. He had the weirdest looking ears I've ever seen. And there was a human girl with him wearing a school uniform. And as soon as they saw me, she jumped on his back and he jumped out the window. And the window was all smashed in like it was imploded or something. And then I noticed the shard was gone."

"And you're sure you weren't dreaming?" Amon asked from his car a few blocks away.

"I wasn't dreaming. Just wait till you see this window. Miss Robin, you believe me, don't you?"

"I believe you, Michael," Robin said, ignoring Amon's disapproving look.

"You shouldn't encourage him," he said quietly.

"But Amon, he's never done this before."

"So you think he's telling the truth?"

"He believes it."

A shadow passed over the car's windshield, making Robin and Amon look up. The street lights were blocked for only a moment. A flash of shape and color was all they saw.

"That was a red robe," Amon said. Robin was thrown forward against her seat belt as he hit the breaks and spun the steering wheel around on the empty street.

"I told you I wasn't dreaming," Michael said triumphantly.

The running figure wasn't far ahead when Amon stepped on the gas again.

"We're in pursuit, going south," he told the others over the coms.

"Gimme a second to turn around. I'll back you up," Sakaki volunteered.

"I'll be there too," Karasuma said. "Yurika?"

"Alright, fine," Dojima conceded. "Stupid peer pressure."

The needle in Amon's speedometer was just passing fifty as he and Robin came up beside the demon. It was just as Michael said. The long white hair, the ears, the human girl riding on his back.

"He's so fast," Robin commented.

"Is the girl still with him?" Michael asked.

"Yes," Robin answered, her eyes locked on the sight outside the car window. "But it's the girl wearing the red robe."

"It was dark, ok."

9

"We've got company," Inuyasha said.

"Is it them?" Kagome asked. She was looking over the car as it got closer. The fire-starter was looking back at her and she was suddenly glad she was wearing Inuyasha's coat.

"Of course it's them."

"What do you want to do?"

"Let's give 'em a run for their money."

10

Robin's eyes widened as the girl in the red robe pulled something out of her pocket and held it out for her to see. The passing street lights made it flash like a star. The demon stepped up his pace and pulled ahead, forcing the girl to grip his shoulders harder.

"Michael was right, they have the shard," Robin said.

"They stole our alien," Dojima said in mock anger.

"If that thing really makes witches stronger, then we can't let them take it." Karasuma said over the coms.

Amon pushed the gas pedal all the way down to the floor but the demon stayed half a block in front of them. The roar of another motor signaled Sakaki's arrival. He guided his bike up on the right side of Amon's car.

"They must be doing eighty," he said in amazement.

"Karasuma, what's your position?" Amon asked, not taking his eyes off his quarry.

"I'm coming up the next block over," she answered. "I'll try to get ahead of them and cut them off."

"I should do that. My car's faster than yours," Dojima said. "I'm on a cross street, coming your way."

"Did Miss Dojima just volunteer for something?" Michael teased.

"We'll take her temperature when we get back." Sakaki joined in on the joke, yelling over the singing tires on the concrete.

"Ha ha, very funny, you guys," Dojima sniffed.

"Whoever does it has to be going at least eighty-five to catch up to them," Amon said, taking note of his own speedometer. The needle was trembling at eighty.

"No problem," Dojima said.

Robin looked past Amon to make sure Sakaki was keeping pace. The speed was making his bike swerve slightly, but he was still in it. The demon and his companion were still in sight, but Robin was beginning to doubt that they could be caught by human means. Looking at Amon, she could tell that this was not the time to voice her thoughts. His jaw was tight and his eyes narrow. It wasn't the demon he was concerned about, she was sure. It was the shard he was after. That was the key to their mission, their one chance at a happy ending.

Robin's mind snapped back to the hunt with the squeal of tires. Dojima's car flew out of a side street two blocks ahead and skidded to a stop, blocking one side of the road. Karasuma's car did the same on the other side.

"We've got 'em now," Sakaki said triumphantly.

"Don't be too sure," Amon warned him.

The demon didn't even slow down as he approached the cars. In fact, he seemed to run faster. In a flash, he launched himself into the air, companion and all. They sailed over the cars and hit the ground running on the other side. For the second time that night, Amon slammed on his breaks. His car stopped short of the two other cars in the road. Sakaki did the same and his bike almost slid out from under him.

"What now, fearless leader?" Dojima asked dryly.

"We go after them," Amon snarled. "Robin, put your glasses on." He meant business now.

11

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at the cars receding behind her.

"You think they'll give up?" she asked.

"Not a chance," Inuyasha said. "We'll have some more fun with 'em before they're done."

As if on cue, the three cars and the motorbike turned and followed them, faster than ever.

12

Robin's knuckles were white on her armrest as Amon pushed his car as far as it would go. The speedometer needle was holding at just over ninety. The demon and his companion would soon be in striking range.

"Roll the window down and get ready," Amon told Robin.

She did as she was told and adjusted her glasses on her nose. Inwardly, she wondered if this was a wise move. If the shard was destroyed this time, then their mission would be a failure. But what choice did they have now? They had to take the chance.

"Do it now." Amon's voice was as commanding as ever.

She braced her hands against the seat and the door and stuck her head out the window. She focused her energy, aiming carefully at the moving target. The fire flashed in her eyes and then burst into reality. It completely engulfed the demon and his companion as they fled up the street. The inferno moved with them for a moment before swirling away into nothing. But nothing had changed. The demon was still running ahead of them. And the human girl was still on his back. The red robe wasn't even scorched. Robin sat back down in the passenger seat, stunned.

"I think I swallowed a bug," she said, turning her wide eyes to Amon.

He didn't look back at her but his expression was so sour it made Robin draw back slightly. She drew back a little more when he reached into his coat and pulled out his gun.

"Amon," she said questioningly.

Again, he didn't respond. Instead, he rolled his window down and leaned out to get a clear shot. He fired off two rounds at the demon. But the creature dodged aside.

13

Kagome couldn't believe her ears.

"Are they shooting at us?" She asked, turning to look over her shoulder. Inuyasha's speed had saved her again.

"They think they can take us out with those weapons?" Inuyasha sneered.

"That's it, let's lose 'em," Kagome said.

"It's about time," he said. "That guy gives me the creeps." With that, he took a few warm-up jumps and then soared up onto a nearby rooftop. A few more jumps saw them safely away and heading back to Kagome's home at Higurashi shrine.


	4. HD4

14

The morning sunlight flowed through the jagged hole where the window used to be. It glinted off the shattered glass into Robin's eyes, making her squint as she crossed the office to join the others in the conference room. They had spent most of the night trying to figure out exactly what had happened. The shard was gone. That much they knew. It was how and why that they couldn't seem to grasp.

"What was that guy anyway?" Sakaki asked.

"A witch?" Dojima suggested.

"No way. He had more powers than god," Michael said.

"It was like chasing the JUMP card," Sakaki agreed.

"Even Robin's power didn't affect them," Dojima sighed.

"And how did they know about the shard?" Karasuma wondered. "No one knew about it except us and the lab guys."

"That dead witch knew about it," Dojima pointed out. "He could have told someone."

"Probably not," Amon commented. "He would have put himself at risk by talking about the shard."

"The other witches on the list would have known about the shard already," Robin pointed out.

Amon shook his head. "If one of them was behind it, they would have just killed Mune and taken the shard from him. Why take the risk of stealing it from us?"

"Yeah," Sakaki echoed. "Who would go to the trouble of coming here?"

"Since when are demons rational?" Michael asked.

"You really think he's a demon?" Dojima thought out loud.

"Yeah. What else could he be?" Michael said.

"Whatever he is, he's running around with an artifact that could make his powers even stronger," Karasuma said, summing it all up.

A loud tapping noise made them all look up. Chief Kosaka's private office was suspended half a story above the floor of the main office. It was accessible only by a narrow staircase in one corner of the large room. The chief himself was rapping on the big plexi-glass window that overlooked the conference room.

"Are you ready to listen to my story now?" he asked, loud enough for the others to hear him.

15

"My grandmother told me a story once," the Chief began, sitting down at his old desk on the main floor. "She said it was true, but I didn't believe it at the time. I was young and I thought I knew everything. Anyway, she said that there was once a magic jewel that could grant wishes and give demons incredible powers. Sometime during the Feudal Era, the jewel was shattered and the pieces scattered all over Japan. My grandmother said that even one piece could increase one's natural power tenfold. Demons were always after these pieces and countless people died fighting over them. If that little stone you found was really a sacred jewel shard, then you're all in for a world of trouble. Those two weirdoes are just the beginning."

"That's it? That's all you know?" Dojima asked.

"That's all I know," the Chief answered. "But there's someone who might know more. I was talking to one of my friends in the Tokyo police early this morning. He said he knew an expert in Feudal Era history who might be able to help."

"An expert, huh?" Sakaki said. "Where do we find this guy?"

"He's the caretaker of a shrine in the suburbs of Tokyo. The Higurashi Shrine. I got the address." The Chief took a slip of paper from the desk and handed it to Amon.

"Road trip," Sakaki proposed with obvious delight.

"You're staying here," Amon said flatly as he studied the address.

"Why?" Sakaki asked, crestfallen.

"Robin and I are going to the shrine. You and the others have to go through all of Mune's past contacts. This legend might be a dead end and we can't afford to waste a whole day. Find out who he might have told about the shard."

"You mean I have to stay here too?" Dojima wailed. "But it's so boring here."

"It wouldn't be so boring if you actually worked once in a while," Chief Kosaka jabbed as he walked back towards the staircase up to his office.

Dojima bristled. "I work all the time! I'm always working! You're just a slave driver!"

"Happy hunting," the Chief called back with mock glee and slammed his office door.

Dojima turned her back to the Chief's office so he wouldn't see how angry she was. She noticed Amon and Robin heading for the elevator.

"Why does he take her everywhere he goes?" she asked, leaning closer to Karasuma who was sitting nearby. "I'll bet something happened out there at one of those motels."

"Dojima," Robin said gently. "We're not even out of the room yet."

Dojima froze, but only for a moment.

"O yeah, something definitely happened."

Robin followed Amon into the elevator. The doors were just closing when Karasuma dodged in between them.

"I'm coming with you," she said simply. Nobody argued.


	5. HD5

16

The stairs seemed to stretch up forever. Robin began to regret never having used a Stairmaster. Her legs were aching by the time she, Amon, and Karasuma reached the hilltop shrine. They were all panting a little bit as they passed under the wooden gateway. It was certainly a nice looking shrine, with the big tree on one side and the old fashioned architecture all around. The salmon pink house on the far end seemed to be the only modern thing in the whole place.

"That must be where the old man lives," Karasuma pointed out.

17

Kagome gasped and jumped away from her bedroom window.

"What's the matter?" Inuyasha asked, losing interest in Buyo. He was sitting on the bed clasping the cat's paws firmly in his hands.

"It's the people from last night. They found us."

"What? That's impossible."

Inuyasha dropped Buyo and got up from the bed to look out the window. The three visitors were just passing under the wooden gateway at the entrance of the shrine.

"How'd they track us down so fast?" he demanded.

"I don't know but we'd better think of something fast."

"We can just outrun 'em again. We can be down the well before they can blink."

"They'll see us if we run there now and we can't afford to expose the well to strangers."

"You got a better idea?"

"We have to talk to them."

"What!? Weren't you just talking about exposing secrets?"

"I know. But let's think about this. If there's one shard here then there might be others. They might know something useful. And there are things they need to know if they're chasing shards too."

"Kagome, this is reckless and stupid. Those people tried to kill us last night."

"Only because we took the shard."

"So you're going to give it back to them as a peace offering?"

"Of course not. We won it fair and square and we're keeping it."

The knock on the door made them both jump. They slunk from the bedroom to the top of the stairs and looked down at the front door.

"So we'll only tell them what they need to know," Inuyasha said.

"That's the plan," Kagome agreed. "Stay here for now. I'll call you when it's safe."

On the way down the stairs, Kagome debated how she should play this. This was one of the most awkward situations she'd ever been in. Could it be resolved by playing it cool? Her hand shook as she reached for the door handle. This is ridiculous, she thought, I'm a shrine priestess and I can handle anything. She pulled the door open.

The three people on the doorstep caught their breath and two of them reached for their guns.

"Wait," Kagome yelped, holding up one hand. "We're not running this time."

The hunters paused, utterly confused. Kagome gripped the open door harder with her other hand and went on.

"It's just that you're… early, that's all. We didn't expect you to track us down so fast."

The three pairs of eyes outside widened.

"Who are you?" the leader asked, narrowing his eyes again.

Kagome stepped back a little shyly under his cool gaze.

"I'm Kagome Higurashi."

"And the caretaker of this shrine is your…"

"Grandfather."

"And your… partner?"

"You mean the one who was with me last night? That's Inuyasha."

"Is he a demon?" the fire-starter asked.

"Half-demon actually. You came here for answers, right? Come in and I'll explain everything."

Kagome let the three hunters pass by her as they entered the house. While their backs were turned, she put her hand to her heart to make sure it was still beating. That was too close. It was time to call for backup.

"Inuyasha, come down and be sociable," she called up the stairs.

18

It didn't take long for the half-demon to make his appearance. He came down the stairs slowly, warily, as if expecting an attack. Robin couldn't blame him after the night before. As he got closer, the shadows of the stairwell left his face and she noticed his ears again. They stood like white, furry pyramids on the top of his head. He had hardly reached the bottom of the staircase when her hands began to creep up and by the time he was standing in front of her, they were in perfect position. The moment she touched his ears, Inuyasha seemed to freeze. He made no move to stop her but his eyes narrowed.

"Robin!" Karasuma snapped. "Stop that."

Robin let go of the ears and took half a step back.

"I'm sorry about that," Karasuma tried to apologize, turning to Inuyasha. "She's just very curious."

"Dead cat curious," he returned as he smoothed his ruffled ears.

"That's a good term for her," Amon said, letting his eyes wander.

It took all of thirty seconds for Kagome to stop laughing and invite them all into the living room to talk. Robin couldn't wait to ask about the shard, but Karasuma got there first.

"Do you still have the shard?" she asked rather bluntly as soon as she, Robin, and Amon were seated on the couch.

"Of course we do," Kagome began, dropping herself in her grandfather's chair.

"But you're not getting it back," Inuyasha finished for her as he took up his position behind the chair.

"Why not?" Robin asked in her most gentle tone.

"Because something as powerful as a jewel shard has to be well protected," Kagome said.

"And if you guys were strong enough to protect it, you would have gotten it back from us last night," Inuyasha pointed out.

Amon looked from one to the other. "Do you always finish each other's sentences?"

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other, blushing slightly.

"No way," Inuyasha protested.

"Hardly ever," Kagome agreed.

Amon's face didn't change at all. He gazed unwaveringly at the two people across from him. They eyed him nervously in return.

"I keep trying to think who you remind me of," Kagome said after a moment.

"You said that the jewel shard was powerful," Karasuma cut in, getting back on the subject. "What exactly did you mean?"

"You know what we mean. You saw it the other night." Inuyasha leaned forward over the easy chair.

"You were watching our hunt?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, we were," Kagome said. "And we were very impressed. Weren't we, Inuyasha?"

"Keh," he sniffed and stood up straight again.

"And that's how you found our office. You followed us back there," Karasuma reasoned.

"We weren't following you," Inuyasha said. "We were following the jewel shard."

"How many shards are there?" Robin asked.

"Dozens," Kagome answered. "But there were only a few missing."

"Like the one you got from us," Amon reminded her, not taking his eyes off Inuyasha.

"Exactly," Kagome said. "Have you come across any others?"

Robin leaned forward, about to tell them about their mission. But Amon held up his hand to stop her.

"Maybe," he said. "What else can you tell us about the shards?"

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other and then back at Amon. They hadn't expected a negotiation like this.

"We're as close as you're going to get to experts on the Shikon Jewel," Kagome said.

"The Shikon Jewel," Karasuma thought out loud. "I'll bet that was the magic jewel in the chief's story. And Dojima thought it was an alien."

"Your friend isn't wrong," Kagome said. "The jewel is made of souls, so it's sort of alive. You could call it an alien if you wanted."

Robin had long since stopped questioning magical ideas. It just wasn't worth it. So it didn't seem strange that Karasuma was doing the same for now.

"This'll go straight to her head," Karasuma complained.

"Who says you have to tell her?" Inuyasha snickered.

"We can handle our own," Amon said smoothly.

Inuyasha scowled slightly and leaned forward again, sniffing.

"Ya'know, you smell really familiar," he said.

Amon sat back a little, enough for Kagome to notice. She reached up and pulled Inuyasha backwards, forcing him to give up sniffing.

"Do you have some disorder that keeps you from being polite to people?" she asked, glaring up at her partner.

"He must have it too," Karasuma said calmly, glancing at Amon.

Amon turned and fixed his eyes on her. Robin leaned out from his other side to give her a worried look. Karasuma looked from one to the other and then turned away from them.

"Well, it's true," she said simply, crossing her arms.

Inuyasha began to scent the air again, his nose twitching wildly.

"You do smell like demons," he said. "I smelled it last night and the night before."

"But you can see they're human," Kagome said.

"My nose says different," Inuyasha growled.

Robin hated to interrupt, but replaying her memories of the night before suggested a compelling question.

"You're a half demon," she said, looking up at Inuyasha. "Is that why my craft didn't affect you?"

"That ain't it," he replied with a side-long look.

"It's his coat," Kagome continued for him. "It's made of Fire-Rat hair, so it's magically fire-proof."

"But there's no such thing as fire-rats. They're a myth," Karasuma said, confused.

"Maybe now they're a myth, but in the Feudal Era there were fire-rats and all kinds of…" Kagome stopped suddenly and shut her mouth. She hadn't meant to mention the Feudal Era at all.

"All kinds of what?" Amon prompted her, suddenly more interested.

"Demons," she finished.

"And apparently we all smell like them," Karasuma said half joking.

"Not you so much, but them definitely," Inuyasha said, tossing his head towards Amon and Robin.

"But I'm not a demon," Robin protested, knowing it was only a half truth.

"And what about you?" Inuyasha asked Amon directly.

Amon looked away and said nothing.

"Didn't we figure out the other night that they were part demon?" Kagome thought out loud.

Robin's mood darkened as she remembered her father's theory on witch evolution. "Demons could have been the 'gods' that became witches…" she said, gazing down at the carpet.

"By crossbreeding with humans," Kagome finished, looking up at Inuyasha. He looked back at her for a second and then turned away, frowning.

"That would explain a lot," Karasuma said.

"It doesn't matter what they are," Amon said coldly.

Everyone else stared at him for a moment. He made no excuse, only stared off into space.


	6. HD6

19

"Now I know you remind me of somebody," Inuyasha said, tapping his fingers nervously on the back of Kagome's chair.

Kagome had been studying Amon carefully. The way he spoke, the way he moved, even the cool look in his dark eyes seemed so familiar. But it was more than that. His attitude rang bells all over her mind. He was cold and unemotional, with little or no sense of humor. He was distrustful of strangers, always carried a weapon, and traveled with two companions.

"O my god," she squealed. "I know who it is."

All eyes turned to her but she ignored them and looked up at Inuyasha standing over her.

"Betcha can't guess," she teased.

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment, a blank look spreading across his face.

"Just tell me," he said.

"Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha slapped his forehead with his clawed hand.

"O yeah, I didn't even…"

"Think of your own brother," Kagome finished for him.

"Half brother," he corrected her sharply.

"Half brother," Robin said quietly in Amon's ear. He acknowledged her with a glance from the corner of his eye.

Kagome was so proud of herself that her smile went all the way across her face as she turned back to the others.

"You could be his reincarnation or something," she said, leaning closer to Amon. "You're exactly like him."

"He's a jerk," Inuyasha growled, turning his back.

Amon shot a death stare across at Inuyasha, but Kagome paid no attention and continued in a nonchalant tone.

"Inuyasha and Sesshomaru used to fight all the time. They still don't get along very well at all. It's lucky he's stuck in the Feudal Era."

Kagome seemed to freeze for a moment. She'd done it again.

The three hunters leaned forward slightly.

"You keep mentioning the Feudal Era," Karasuma pointed out.

"Well, yeah. I mean, that's when the legend is from, right?" Kagome said as best she could with her tight jaw.

"Are you sure that's all you want to tell us?" Amon pushed a little harder.

Kagome bit her lip. How could she avoid the issue now? She was about to open her mouth again when she felt Inuyasha's hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe," he said. "What have you got to trade?"

20

Amon gave hard glances to Robin and Karasuma, warning them to stay quiet and let him do the talking. But Robin had had enough. They wouldn't get anywhere dancing around like this.

"We think there are more shards here," she spilled out before Amon could stop her.

Amon and Karasuma closed their eyes for a second, taking a moment. Inuyasha and Kagome's eyes brightened.

"Keep talking," Inuyasha said.

Robin glanced at Amon and he glanced back. The walls were down. With Amon's approval, Robin explained their mission.

Kagome nodded. "That's definitely the work of jewel shards."

"And not just the one from the other night," Karasuma said. "Every witch on that list must have one."

"Jackpot," Inuyasha growled eagerly.

Amon shot Karasuma a serious look and she took the hint.

"It's your turn," she said.

Robin could tell that Kagome and Inuyasha were nervous about revealing their secrets. She could hardly hold down her curiosity.

"Well, for starters, there's a good reason I keep talking about the Feudal Era," Kagome began. With some help from Inuyasha, she told the hunters selected parts of her story. She gave them a brief history of the Shikon Jewel and the time travel part. Robin noticed that she left out certain tidbits, like the location of the portal. Amon and Karasuma must have noticed it too because they glanced at each other every so often. But even without the missing pieces, they lapped it all up like thirsty animals. It certainly had been their lucky day.

"But how did the witches get the jewel shards?" Robin asked in conclusion.

"Does it matter?" Inuyasha answered with another question. "The important thing is to get them back and keep them."

All heads turned as the piercing sound of breaking glass shot through the house.

"Where did we leave the shard, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, already on her feet.

"On the desk," he answered.

"You were saying…" Amon prodded dryly.

Inuyasha turned, about to snap but a heavy thud from upstairs stopped him. Kagome moved first and the others followed her, racing up the stairs to her bedroom. Inuyasha threw the door open first and was startled when his feet squelched into the wet carpet.

"Why's the floor wet?" he asked in astonishment.

"Oh, sorry about that," a smooth snake-like voice intoned. The voice belonged to a young woman who sat crouched on the windowsill. The broken glass spread around her shoes and on the floor below gave her a distinctly menacing look despite her pretty face.

"And just who are you?" Inuyasha asked with his hand on his sword.

"I know who you are," Amon said coolly. He stepped in front of Inuyasha and drew his gun. "You're Agatha Takamaime."

"And you're a hunter," Agatha snarled. She threw up her hand and a jet of water shot out, knocking the gun out of Amon's hand. "How lovely that you're here to meet me like this. Now I can take Mune's shard back and avenge his death at the same time."

"She's got two shards stuck in her hand," Kagome warned.

"Very perceptive," Agatha purred. She threw up her hand again but Robin was ready this time. The water struck Robin's fire shield with an angry hiss and exploded in steam. The grey cloud filled the room for only a few seconds but when it cleared, Agatha was gone from the window. The whole group crowded up to the sill, being careful of the jagged glass still stuck in the frame. Agatha was speeding away from the shrine on a watery platform. The sight made Robin think of a magic carpet.

"There she goes," Karasuma pointed out.

"Not for long," Inuyasha said. He had pulled his sword halfway out of its sheath before Kagome grabbed his hand.

"The windscar won't make it that far," she said.

"Do you still think you're strong enough to keep the shards?" Amon asked.

"She took us by surprise," Kagome explained, getting in between Amon and Inuyasha. "Most jewel thieves come at night when it's easier to escape."

"Yeah, that one must be the village idiot," Inuyasha sneered.

"She's the strongest witch on our list," Amon replied. "There's only one idiot here."

"Did you hear that Kagome?" Inuyasha asked in mock disbelief. "This Sesshomaru-wannabe just tried to zing me."

"Why don't you put your sword where your mouth is?" Amon teased.

"I'll put my sword where your mouth is," Inuyasha snarled back.

"Stop it," Kagome yelped. "Inuyasha, go after her quick. Don't lose her." She turned and faced Amon fearlessly. "And you… You've got a car, don't you?"


	7. HD7

21

Kagome leaned forward between the front seats of Amon's car. Looking up through the windshield, she could see Agatha flying a few hundred yards ahead. Inuyasha was bouncing over the rooftops in hot pursuit. It had been a good idea to get on the highway and they had made good time catching up but Kagome was still nervous. Agatha had some pretty strong powers with her two jewel shards and Inuyasha would have to use his sword attacks to bring her down. To make matters worse, it was mid-day and there were innocent people everywhere.

"Why did she come in the middle of the day?" Kagome thought out loud.

"She probably planned it that way," Karasuma said. "She thought we wouldn't want to fight in front of crowds."

"She's right," Amon said as he guided the car around a curve. "A daylight confrontation is too risky. She probably has a stronghold in an isolated area. If we confront her there, she'll lose her advantage."

Kagome watched Inuyasha carefully. He wasn't the type to hang back and wait for an opportunity. He would pounce on Agatha whenever he got the chance. And it wasn't long before he made his move. They were passing by one of the first tall buildings on the edge of the city center. Agatha floated by its middle and Inuyasha leapt to its roof. It all happened so fast that Kagome almost missed it. Seeing his chance, Inuyasha threw himself off the roof and dove straight down onto Agatha's water platform. The four people in the car leaned forward, gasping. There was a flash of shimmering light and Inuyasha was falling. Amon didn't even have time to step on the brake before the impact. The roof of the car plunged six inches. Kagome and Robin threw themselves against the doors to avoid getting crushed.

"Quick, stop the car!" Kagome yelled.

Amon didn't need to be told. He swerved onto the road shoulder and stopped short. Kagome was out of the car in a split second, calling her partner's name. Inuyasha was lying in the middle of the huge dent, the untransformed Tetsusaiga in his hand. When he heard Kagome's voice he opened his eyes and sat up.

"What happened?" Kagome asked.

"I'm not sure," he said, rubbing his head.

"Was that the windscar you used?"

"I tried to. But it wouldn't fire."

"What?! It's never done that before."

"It did once. The demon's power was too weak and the windscar wouldn't form."

"Of course, witches are mostly human. They don't have enough demon energy to draw the windscar."

By this time, the hunters were standing around surveying the damage. Amon gave Inuyasha a narrow glare.

"So you're saying your sword is useless," he said.

Inuyasha jumped down onto the concrete road and shook his sword at Amon.

"It is NOT useless," he snarled. "These 'witches' are too damn weak. They're not even worth using the Tetsusaiga on."

"Is that why she got away?" Amon pushed harder.

"Why you…" Inuyasha growled.

"She hasn't gotten away yet," Kagome cut in. "I can still sense her shards."

"You can sense the shards?" Karasuma asked, impressed.

"Of course I can," Kagome replied proudly. "Why did you think we were out there watching your hunt the other night?"

"We're not far from the office," Amon said, taking in the surroundings. "We should check back in with the others before we try to track down Takamaime's hideout."

"You heard him, Inuyasha," Kagome said half scolding. "Get in the car."

"I can move faster on my own," Inuyasha growled. He eyed Amon warily and sheathed his sword.

"Just get in," Kagome said. "And please try to fix this dent."

"Can you do that?" Robin asked Inuyasha as they all climbed into the car.

"Sure I can," he said. He crouched down under the dent and after a quick glance to make sure Amon was watching him, he used his shoulders to push the layers of plastic and steel back into shape.

"Not bad," Karasuma said, getting comfortable in the passenger seat.

Amon said nothing as he started the engine again.

22

"Don't even think about it," Inuyasha growled, putting his hands over his ears.

"Aww…" Dojima whined as she slunk back to her seat in the conference room. They had all gathered there after Amon and the others got back. Inuyasha had placed himself beside the doorway. Robin presumed it was in case he needed to make a quick get-away. Kagome was more trusting. She had pulled a chair in from the main office and sat looking over Michael's shoulder.

"Ok, what do we know?" Karasuma asked.

"Agatha Takamaime is the strongest witch on our list," Amon began. "She has the power to manipulate water." He ran his hand through his hair as he spoke. It had dried a little spiky after Agatha's attack and he was trying to make it lie straight again.

"She has two jewel shards and she can travel really fast," Kagome continued.

"So how do we get her?" Sakaki asked.

"I blast her out of the sky with Tetsusaiga," Inuyasha said confidently.

"Yeah, if it actually worked," Dojima jeered.

"Keh. Just wait and see," Inuyasha said.

"First we have to find her," Michael pointed out, eyeing Inuyasha nervously.

"But how do we do that?" Sakaki asked. "She could be anywhere."

"I've got that covered," Kagome said. "I just have to sense her jewel shards and I'll lead you right to her."

"How do you know she won't stash them?" Karasuma asked.

"Jewel shards only give you power if you're touching them," Inuyasha explained. "They're no good if you don't carry them on you. Agatha must know that by now."

"How close do you have to be to sense the shards?" Amon asked Kagome without looking at her.

"A mile or so," she replied.

Michael took half a minute to put a city map up on the screens in the center of the room. It reminded Robin of a hedge maze.

"You'll need someone with you who knows the city," Michael said.

"I volunteer," Sakaki said a little too quickly. Inuyasha glared at him, narrowing his eyes. But Kagome shot her partner a sharp look and made him turn away.

Amon leaned forward slightly, making Sakaki look at him. "Take your bike and search systematically. Start with the area where we last saw Takamaime. Report back if you find anything."

"Right," Sakaki responded seriously. He turned and smiled at Kagome as he got up from his seat. "Cummon, let's go."

Kagome got up to follow him but stopped at the door and spoke to Inuyasha.

"Stay here and don't cause trouble, ok?"

"Keh," he retorted.

"So what do the rest of us do?" Dojima asked in a dull voice when Kagome and Sakaki had gone.

"We gather as much information as we can find on Takamaime," Amon said. "Most importantly where she might be hiding."


	8. HD8

23

The vibration of the bike's engine was soothing to Kagome after the excitement of the day. She gripped Sakaki's jacket a little harder so she could lean out and look at the jagged urban horizon through the visor of his spare helmet. The mid-afternoon sun shone orange through the haze over the city. Why did trouble have to come on such pretty days? Instead of an answer to her mental question, she got Sakaki with his own questions.

"So, you and your partner are time travelers, huh?"

"Yeah."

"What exactly do you do back there?"

"We destroy demons and try to get the jewel shards back."

"Sounds like a crazy job."

"No crazier than yours."

"I guess that's true."

They had gone beyond the place where they last saw Agatha, following the same highway. Kagome was getting used to the city. She wasn't looking up at the tall buildings as much as she had earlier that day. But one thing still bothered her. Everything was so grey. There was hardly a green spot in sight. She supposed she had been spoiled by spending so much time in the Feudal Era when everything was so pristine. But there could at least be a tree every few blocks. The presence of jewel shards invaded her thoughts and broke her peaceful mood. She gave a little tug on Sakaki's sleeve.

"I've got something. Turn here," she said pointing.

They passed under the highway and soon found themselves surrounded by old concrete apartment buildings. The traffic was slower there so they were forced to take their time.

"Are you sure the shards are here?" Sakaki asked over the street noise.

"Keep going," Kagome said. "We're on the right track."

24

Robin wasn't sitting close enough to stop Dojima. And she wasn't sure she would have even if she had been able to. She looked over at Amon to see if he would react, but he just stared at his computer screen and seemed to pay no attention. Since that day when she had saved Dojima's life, Robin had adopted Amon's hands-off attitude towards her flighty colleague. If she wanted to take her chances, let her. Dead cat curious. The word recurred to Robin quite suddenly. Who was dead cat curious now?

Inuyasha had been sitting so quietly on the stairs leading up to the chief's office, staring off into space with his hands folded into his kimono sleeves. The hunters had all but forgotten about him for a while. But now, all eyes were on Dojima as she flounced across the room and calmly sat down on the step just below him.

"So, what's really going on between you and your partner? Is she your lover?"

There was an audible gasp in the office at the bold question, but everything went quiet again fast. Inuyasha's eyes had grown wide with shock and he sputtered for a moment before answering.

"Of course not. It's not like that."

"Really?" Dojima pressed on. "Are you sure."

"Of course I'm sure." He turned away from Dojima in a huff but she wouldn't give up so easily.

"But you ARE in love with her, aren't you?"

Inuyasha sputtered again and growled.

"None of your business. You're worse than Miroku."

"Who's Miroku?"

"Part of my gang back home. He was the nosiest person I ever met. But you just broke his record."

"Really?" Dojima asked, obviously pleased.

Inuyasha looked her straight in the eye.

"Yeah, you're officially the nosiest person in the world."

Dojima giggled happily and stood up from her seat on the stairs.

"You know just what to say, don't you?"

Inuyasha didn't have time to react before the phone rang. Michael answered it right away.

"Hello… You did? Where? ... OK, I'll tell them."

Everyone in the office leaned closer to hear the news, all except Amon who sat stoic as ever at his computer. He did turn his head to listen though.

"They found Agatha's hideout," Michael announced when he had hung up the phone. Finally, Amon got up and faced everyone.

"Let's go," he said simply.


	9. HD9

25

The orange sun had turned red as it sank below the horizon. It made Kagome think of blood. And certainly someone's blood would be spilled tonight. But who's? She hoped it would be Agatha's and no one else's. It had been half an hour since Sakaki had called the office to report in. Now he was leaning against his bike in the shadow of an apartment building, watching the little strip mall across the street out of the corner of his eye. Kagome sat on a milk crate behind a dumpster in the nearby alley and waited for Inuyasha. He'd be the first one to arrive, she was sure. The challenge would be to keep him from rushing right into a duel with Agatha before they had a chance to form a plan. But something else was bothering her at the moment.

"Should we be sitting out here waiting like this?" she asked. "Won't Agatha recognize us?"

"That's why you're back there and I'm out here," Sakaki answered. "I wasn't there this morning so she won't recognize me. And someone has to make sure she doesn't leave."

That made perfect sense to Kagome, but she was still worried. Agatha wasn't stupid. Surely, she could figure out who was watching her. But if so, then why hadn't she made a move yet? Was she planning something too? The whole situation reminded her uncomfortably of Naraku's traps. But maybe she was overestimating Agatha. Could it be that the witch was just overconfident and thought she'd escaped for good? That was probably it, but still…

Kagome turned at the sound of an approaching car engine. Amon's car turned around the far side of the apartment building into the alley and came to a stop beside the dumpster. Most of the STN-J piled out and joined Kagome in her hiding place. Sakaki left his bike and joined them too.

"Aren't we missing someone?" Kagome asked, looking around for Inuyasha.

"Who's missing?" Inuyasha asked as he jumped from the fire escape.

"Nobody," she said with a sigh of relief.

"But we are missing someone," Dojima said.

"Who?" Karasuma asked.

"Well, Agatha, of course." Dojima tossed her head imperiously. "We need her here so we can hunt her."

Karasuma and Sakaki sighed but Amon thought differently.

"She's right," he said. "We need to lure her out in the open where she'll be easier to attack."

"No problem," Inuyasha said. "I'll challenge her to a duel. She's not the type to refuse."

"And she would have to come out into the parking lot to fight," Robin continued the line of logic."

"And then what?" Kagome asked. "The windscar won't fire at her and she can block an ordinary sword attack with her water power."

"He doesn't have to kill her," Sakaki said. "Just wear her down so the rest of us can pounce on her."

"And what about the jewel shards?" Inuyasha asked.

"You can have them," Amon said.

Robin shot him a look and he met her eyes. Some silent communication passed between them and then they both looked away again. That seemed familiar to Kagome. She and Inuyasha did that sometimes. Talking without talking.

"So that's the plan?" Karasuma asked just to confirm.

"Yeah," Amon said.

26

The streetlights cast strange double shadows behind the cars in the parking lot across the street. It was a quiet neighborhood and there were only a few cars there. The breeze on the roof of the apartment building pushed Robin's loose bangs around and she waved her hand to keep them out of her eyes. Amon crouched near the edge of the roof, studying the layout of the battlefield. Robin stood at the top of the fire escape and watched him. He hadn't asked her to follow him. But she didn't like being away from him, especially in situations like this. Somehow, being near him made her feel safe. Every once in a while it struck her how strange that was. Had she told any of the others, they would have laughed at her. She could start fires with her mind and HE made her feel safe. But it was true and she was at a loss to explain it.

She looked down at the others gathered in the alley. They were talking in whispers and she couldn't hear them, but she had a feeling they were comparing notes on the last few days. Everything seemed to have turned upside down since their last hunt. The events of the day were bizarre, even for the STN-J. Not the least of those events was meeting Kagome and Inuyasha. The two of them sat together in the alley, leaning back against a wall side by side. Something about them reminded Robin of how she and Amon used to sleep on the train or the bus or the airplane. She looked back at Amon just in time to see him get up and glide back towards her. She read his blank expression and knew that he was worried. She moved slightly so that her arm brushed lightly against his as he went past her onto the fire escape. That always seemed to make him feel better when they were on the road, hungry and home-sick. He paused for a split second, acknowledging the gesture, and then continued on down into the alley. Robin followed him as always. She didn't want to be away from him, not now.


	10. HD10

27

Kagome realized that she was having a brand new experience as she crouched behind the parked car. When had she ever sat down in the middle of a parking lot before? She sat between Karasuma and Sakaki, leaning against the dinged up door of the Mitsubishi. They were a few dozen yards from the empty storefront where Kagome could still sense the jewel shards. On Karasuma's other side, Amon and Robin peered around the car's bumper and watched the dark storefront. Dojima was on Sakaki's other side whispering complaints and trying not to get her clothes dirty. Looking up and down the line of people, Kagome realized that she was the only one not carrying a weapon. This didn't exactly bother her, but it made her feel slightly left out. What did bother her, however, was that Agatha had still not struck back. The witch had to have seen them all creep up the edge of the lot and dodge behind the Mitsubishi. Yet she was staying quiet. What did it mean?

"Is she moving yet?" Amon asked without turning.

"No," Kagome responded. "She's stayed put this whole time. I don't like it."

Amon narrowed his eyes at the storefront and Kagome guessed that he agreed. He really did remind her of Sesshomaru, especially when he was tense. Was that really Sesshomaru's soul in there? Or maybe just his blood? Of course, it had to be. How else could he seem so calm all the time? In fact, that was one of the few things she appreciated about Sesshomaru. He never yelled. He didn't have to.

A flurry of movement behind another car in the lot caught Kagome's eye. Inuyasha had lost patience with waiting. If he had heard Kagome mention her concern, he gave no indication. He leapt out and stood directly in front of the dark store.

"Come out and fi-"

His words were cut off by the roar of rushing water. The glass of the storefront shattered and a great wave raged out into the parking lot. Inuyasha drew his giant sword and used it to shield himself. The people behind the Mitsubishi braced themselves against the metal and felt the water pushing them a few paces farther from the store. Kagome twisted around to see over the car's roof. Agatha stood framed in the glassless storefront, grinning malevolently. Kagome's jaw tightened as she realized that she'd been right. Agatha had been ready for them for quite a while.

"What's the matter?" Inuyasha jeered. "Afraid to fight fair?"

"All's fair in love and war," Agatha sneered back.

"Let's get down to business," Inuyasha snapped and charged Agatha, sword in hand. She raised her hand and pushed him back with her water jet. Twice more he charged her with the same result and she was laughing now. A cold, reptilian laugh.

"This isn't working," Kagome commented unnecessarily.

The others looked to Amon, trusting that he had a plan. And for a moment, it appeared that he did. He drew his gun and fired two shots over the Mitsubishi's hood. Agatha dodged to one side, snarling. She threw a jet at Amon's half hidden face and it might have hit him if Robin hadn't jumped to his defense, blocking the water attack with her fire shield. The resulting torrent of steam rolled over the lot and faded into the air.

"You shouldn't have looked away," Inuyasha growled in triumph as he swung his sword. This time, he got dangerously close to Agatha before she ducked nimbly under the swing. Inuyasha turned, seeing quickly that they had switched places and she now stood between him and the others.

"You think you're so smart, don't ya?" he snarled.

"Smart? That was just luck," Agatha retorted with a sickening giggle. She raised both hands and sent a wall of water flying towards Inuyasha. He shielded himself again with the Tetsusaiga.

Kagome couldn't stand it anymore. Something had to change. Agatha showed no signs of weakening as they hoped she would.

"I'm moving to the other car," she whispered to Sakaki.

"What? No, it's too dangerous. What if she sees you?" Sakaki protested.

"I want Inuyasha to see me," she said. "It'll make him fight harder."

"You're really going to do this?" he asked studying her face. She nodded. "Take this with you then," he said, pushing his gun into her hand. It was her turn to protest.

"I don't like guns." She tried to give it back to him but he refused.

"Take it anyway," he said.

She saw that he was serious so she nodded and gripped the gun more firmly. Agatha's back was still turned as she faced Inuyasha's sword attacks. The timing wouldn't get any better. Kagome brushed past Amon and Robin on her way out and heard the harsh whispers behind her. But she set her sights on the other car and didn't stop until she reached it. The flood of Agatha's opening attack had flipped it upside down and Kagome ducked under its hood. The only one who hadn't seen her was Agatha who still had her back turned. Just as Kagome hoped Inuyasha's attacks suddenly grew fiercer and he deflected one of Agatha's attacks back at her, pushing her backwards. But still, the witch showed no signs of fatigue. It had to be the jewel shards, Kagome was sure of it. But how was she supposed to neutralize them from that distance and without her bow and arrows. Her hand involuntarily tightened on Sakaki's gun and she looked down at it, considering. She had never fired a gun before. Was it even worth trying? Of course it was. Inuyasha was in trouble. They were all in trouble. Kagome looked at the gun more closely. It wasn't a bow and arrow, but what if…? She took the weapon in both hands and leveled it at Agatha's back. The thought occurred again that she'd never fired a gun before. Inuyasha charged, Agatha raised her hand with the two jewel shards sparkling in it, and Kagome pulled the trigger.

Kagome was just as surprised as everyone else when the neon blue streak flew from the gun barrel and struck Agatha's hand. But she also saw the glowing shards fall to the tarmac.

"The shards are out," she yelled, getting to her feet behind the overturned car.

The hunters were up and running in a moment, firing their guns. It disturbed Kagome suddenly that she was so used to violence. The spreading patch of blood on the ground around the fallen witch hardly bothered her at all, though it was a relief when Robin used her craft to dispose of the body. She was even more relieved when Inuyasha appeared at her side.

"That couldn't have been a sacred arrow," he said.

"I think it was a sacred bullet," Kagome said and looked down at the gun in her hand.

"What does that mean? Can you do that with any weapon?"

"I don't know."

28

Robin stood over the scorch mark on the ground and waited for her heart to slow down. She still wasn't questioning magic and she wouldn't question Kagome either. But the shards lay there fascinating her. She bent to pick them up but a hand grabbed her wrist. She stopped and looked up, meeting Amon's cool dark eyes. She knew his meaning in an instant and stood up straight again. She knew he was right. He was still her watchdog, after all.


	11. HD11 End

29

Usually the office would be deserted at such a late hour, but that night there were eight people there. Most of them were reveling in triumph, telling each other how brave they were and what a good job they had done. Inuyasha sat perched on the edge of one of the desks, watching Kagome laugh at Sakaki. The boy had taken his whole gun apart and was staring at the pieces scratching his head. Inuyasha crouched lower on the desk, his eyes half closed in boredom. But then someone nudged him and he snapped to attention again. Dojima was suddenly lounging in the desk chair beside him. He glared at her for a moment and then looked away again.

"Whatta you want?" he asked.

"You're leaving soon, right?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?"

"Are you going back to the past?"

"Of course. We have to get back to work. And the others will want to hear about this."

Dojima was quiet for a few seconds and then held up a piece of paper.

"Give this to your friend Miroku, ok?"

Inuyasha took the paper. It was folded up and he could see the ink marks through it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just some private little questions, that's all."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at Dojima but he slipped the paper into his kimono anyway. He didn't notice Kagome stand up from her seat and yawn but he looked up when she called.

"Cummon, Inuyasha. It's time to go."

"Aww… Can't you stay a little longer?" Sakaki asked as he put his gun back together.

"We would," Kagome replied gently. "But we have to get back to the Feudal Era tomorrow. Don't worry, we'll be around sometimes."

30

Amid appeals and protests, Kagome and Inuyasha hurried into the elevator accompanied by Amon and Robin. Robin was sure that Amon just wanted to make sure they left. But that didn't matter. The two time travelers had helped them more than Amon would ever admit. Their permanent salvation seemed so much closer now. Their goodbyes consisted of a cheerful wave from Kagome and a proud "Keh" from Inuyasha. And then the pair was off, bouncing over the rooftops like a rogue lightning bolt. Amon turned to go back inside and Robin followed him as always.

"Do you think those two are in love with each other?" she asked, throwing a glance over her shoulder.

"Of course they are," Amon said. "But they never talk about it."

"How sad. I'm glad we don't have that problem."

"Do you think those two are in love with each other?" Kagome asked as she and Inuyasha sailed away over the city.

"Of course they are," Inuyasha said. "But they never talk about it."

"How sad. I'm glad we don't have that problem."

31 - Epilogue

Dear Miroku,

The concert is next week! By the time I hear from you again, it'll be over. I can't wait! Nagira says we should take the train down instead of driving and trying to find parking.

Speaking of parking, I finally paid that ticket I had stuck in my glove box for a month. It wasn't too bad. No stupid traffic court can get me down.

Yours always, Dojima

PS. I'm afraid I can't bear your children. I'm saving myself for marriage. And it's still your turn.

Dear Dojima,

I think you're right. Life is too short to be worrying about things like traffic laws. And the fine wasn't that bad anyway. Just don't let the others find out.

So what happened with that concert you were so excited about? Was it as good as you expected?

I'm worried about Sango. She keeps asking to see your letters. I think she's really getting suspicious now.

By the way, has anything changed in the future since we started writing? Anyone mysteriously disappear? Any household items never invented? Any historical events never happened?

We're leaving on another expedition tomorrow so it might be a while before I write back. Try not to let your boss get on your nerves so much.

Passionately yours, Miroku

PS. How do you unhook this thing?

Dear Miroku,

The concert was AWESOME! Nagira said he would buy me the CD. Amon thinks I'm a bad influence on Nagira. But who cares what Amon thinks? He doesn't talk to anybody except Robin anyway.

Don't worry about your girlfriend. If she finds out, what's the worst that can happen?

I haven't noticed anything different since we've been writing. Michael keeps talking about the space-time continuum, but I have no idea what that means.

Good luck on your expedition. And tell me all about it when you get back.

Yours always, Dojima

PS. Just rip it off.

The End... or is it...

Updated 3/19/05 - I'd like to thank everybody who has already reviewed this story and will review in the future. Special thanks to Amon's Angel of the Darkness and PyrokineticFeral. You guys are fabulous. And thanks to poverty-sucks for pointing out my little mistake before.

For those who were a little confused by the epilogue, I should say that it takes place a while after the story ended. Miroku and Dojima have been exchanging letters for a while with Inuyasha and/or Kagome as couriers.

Just for the record, I don't confirm in the story itself whether Amon is Sesshomaru's reincarnation or his descendant. Personally, I think he might be both. But you can believe what you want to believe. The same goes for any possible romances here. They are only there if you want to see them. I'm very pro-A/R and pro-I/K, but that's just me.

I know that nobody noticed this except me, but Agatha's name actually means something. I formed the name Takamaime by sticking two words together. "Taka", which is Greek for "very" and "ma'yim", which is Hebrew for "water." So Agatha's name means "very watery." Neat, huh?

And if you liked this story, you'll be happy to know that the sequel is finished. It ties up a few loose ends and I hope it'll be good in its own right. Sesshomaru WILL appear in it. Here's a little teaser:

Hunting Dogs 2: Fox and Hound

When a witch accidentally gets transported to the Feudal Era, Amon and Robin have to pursue him. Being out of their element, they'll need help from a couple of old friends. But they find more than they bargained for on the other side of Kagome's well. Startling revelations await and a fight you won't want to miss.


End file.
